


Him

by mood



Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: It has a Happy Ending Though, M/M, edward doesnt love scarecrow like that silly, jons a dumb
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-25
Updated: 2018-10-25
Packaged: 2019-08-07 06:12:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,662
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16402802
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mood/pseuds/mood
Summary: The good doctor Crane worries his boyfriend likes Scarecrow more.





	Him

**Author's Note:**

> this has been sitting in my folder for 5 months and i decided to finally finish it

Despite having his licence revoked, Jonathan Crane was, in fact, a doctor of psychology. His years in school, both attending and teaching, taught him many things: how to analyze people, how to read their body language, and how to know what people are truly thinking. His knowledge was, without a doubt, his greatest asset when he was Scarecrow. As Jonathan Crane, however, his intellect haunted him.

Jonathan admired intellect and Edward Nygma was brilliance, both through knowledge and through looks. Although they had crossed paths before on the streets of Gotham before, the two formally met in Arkham Asylum. Numerous games of chess, borrowing of books, and planning potential escapes found comradery between the two men. Once a breakout (instigated by the Joker, of course) found the two back in Gotham, they agreed that a partnership would be a mutually beneficial endeavour. What began as purely professional meetings soon turned platonic, and only a few weeks passed before Edward’s friendly interactions turned flirtatious. Almost a full year after meeting, the two became partners once more, although this time of a different sort.

Their relationship flourished for two adrenaline filled years (and counting), before Jonathan noticed something different about his partner. The two had been out on a heist when it happened; this heist was no different from the dozens before, they were stealing parts from a docked cargo ship which Edward planned to use for his latest death trap. As per usual, Scarecrow had control of Jonathan's mind, but that did not mean Jonathan was blind to the action. No, he merely watched through Scarecrow’s eyes as though he was viewing a program on television. Their night came to a close as the two hastily piled into their getaway car before the Bat could show up. As Scarecrow drove them away from the docks and took a roundabout way to their safe house, Edward did something different: he waited until Scarecrow slowed the speed of the car and then he placed his hand against the taller man's cheek, bringing him down for a kiss. Scarecrow didn’t reciprocate but didn’t move away. Jonathan didn’t believe Scarecrow had even registered what happened, the man was too focused on the way that the dock guards had screamed earlier to pay attention to anything else. It didn't matter though, what mattered was that Edward had never kissed Scarecrow before. In truth, Jonathan didn’t think Edward even liked Scarecrow, the only time he ever showed interest in the burlap clad man was when Jonathan and him were planning something. After that heist, Jonathan paid more attention to the way Edward’s eyes lit up during their nights out, to Edward’s newfound curiosity for nursery rhymes, and to how Edward became more comfortable in Scarecrow’s presence. 

Jonathan knew that his and Edward’s relationship was living on borrowed time but he never dared say anything. He wanted to relish in the warmth Edward gave him while he could for Jon had known that Edward wouldn’t be interested in him forever. It had happened before, people leaving the odd beanpole of a man in favour of something more interesting. Jonathan now realized that their time was up; Edward had found someone new and Jonathan would soon be cast aside. The old professor was used to such treatment, he just wished Edward wouldn’t leave him for Scarecrow. This was a new and unwelcomed experience. But Jonathan truly loved Edward and wanted what was best for the man. If the best meant Jon’s other personality, then so be it. So Jonathan did the only thing he knew how: he closed off the world. If Scarecrow realized that Jonathan was hurting due to Edward, he knew that Scarecrow would attack the redhead. But Jon wasn’t sure how Scarecrow would react when he learned that he, the one whose sole purpose was to keep Jonathan safe, was part of the problem.

Unwilling to provoke Scarecrow and unable to harm Edward, Jon fell back into his old routines. He stopped eating and sleeping, once again focusing entirely on his work. Whenever Edward asked him to come up to bed, Jon would shake his head and say he wasn’t tired. The plates of food Edward left for him on his desk were ignored, brushed off to the side in order to make room for more books. If Jonathan could stop himself from feeling anything for Edward, it would be easier. Edward could be with Scarecrow and be happy. Still, it pained Jon every time Edward came into his laboratory, trying anything to gain Jon’s attention. He knew that Edward must be upset with him but that was all the better. Scarecrow could help Edward, Jonathan would just be in the way.

…

It had been two weeks since Jonathan had shut himself down in his lab and Edward had had enough. He had gone over every scenario in his mind, trying to decide where he had gone wrong, but the same reasoning kept coming up: Jonathan was mad at him. Edward tried countless times to ask Jon what he could do to fix things but the man was ignoring him. Fear bubbled up in Edward’s chest as he wondered if Jon didn’t love him anymore. No, he knew that couldn’t be the case. If Jon didn’t love him, Jon would leave. It was as simple as that. But, since Jon was still here, it meant that he was angry with Edward, not that he didn’t love him. Still, Edward didn’t know why Jonathan was mad at him and not knowing was killing him.

“Jonathan.”

The man sat at his desk, occasionally scratching notes in a dark green field book Edward had bought him. If he had heard Edward, he didn’t show it.

“Jonathan!” He tried again, but was met with the same results.

“Jonathan, please. Please talk to me.” Edward hated how pathetic his voice sounded but he was on the verge of crying. 

Finally, finally, Jonathan looked at him. Whether it was by accident or because of the sadness in his voice, Edward didn't know and didn't care. The love of his life looked awful; his skin was pale, his cheekbones threaten to tear the skin above them, and the dark circles under his eyes only succeeded in making the man more gaunt. Edward felt hot tears forming as he realized that Jonathan looked like the ghost of the man he had been only a few weeks ago.

“Why?” the word came out as a whisper but it was deafening in the silence between them.

“It's not your fault.” Jon's voice was hoarse, likely either from disuse or from the state of his health.

“Then why are you putting me through this? Why won't you talk to me?”

“I'm talking to you right now.”

“Jonathan Crane you know what I mean.”

“It's better for you this way.”

“Better for me? No, I don't think so. Crying alone in our bed while you sit down here and refuse to acknowledge me isn't better for me. Watching you ignore my attempts to take care of you, because god knows when you last ate, isn't better for me. If you don’t love me anymore, just say something. Don’t ignore me like this. I deserve better than this. I can’t take it, I can’t be alone like this, I can’t… I can’t, I can’t -”

“Edward Nygma, stop it,” Jonathan said as he stood up and moved toward Edward, “I love you. You know I love you. Take a deep breath.” 

“Then why? Why stop talking to me? Why just cast me aside?” Edward could feel the tears running down his face but he didn’t care. Jonathan looked at him, his icy blue eyes full of remorse.

“I… I did it so you could be happy. So you could be happy with… him. I knew if I ignored you, you wouldn’t be hurt.”

“Jonathan, what are you talking about? Who are you talking about? I’m not cheating on you. What the fuck are you talking about?”  
“Scarecrow.”

“This is Scarecrow’s doing? That son of a bitch-”

“No. This is my doing. Its so that you can be with him, so you can find happiness with him.”

“Jonathan, my dear, I don’t fucking understand.”

“I… I’ve seen how you interact with Scarecrow, the way you look at him; it’s the same way you looked at me after we left Arkham the first time.” 

“Do you think I’m planning on replacing you with Scarecrow?” Edward paused as realization flooded him: his partner was an idiot and was misinterpreting his actions. “Oh gods. Jonathan, you realize that the two of you are the same person, correct?” 

“Technically he’s an extension of my being, my other personality.”

“Yes. Now, my dumb farm boy, that means that, in order to love you fully, I would have to love both parts of you, yes?”

“...Yes.”

“I love you Jonathan. I don’t love Scarecrow, but I know that he’s a part of you, so I want to love him too. Well, love is a strong word; I’m trying to like him more.”

“You still love me?” Jonathan looked pathetically hopeful and Edward wanted to hold the man in his arms forever. Instead, he hugged him. The hug was different than normal, Edward knew he was holding on tighter than usual because he didn’t want to lose Jon again.

“Of course.”

Jonathan moved back a step and broke the hug, but he grabbed Edward’s hand, firmly holding it in his own. He looked the redhead in the eyes and said, “I’m sorry.”

“I love you, so I will accept your apology on the basis that next time you fucking talk to me first, okay?”

“Okay.”

“Now, and I mean this in the nicest way possible, you look more like a skeleton than usual. Let's get you some food and then go to bed.”

Jonathan gave a small smile in response. It seemed they had more time together than he thought.


End file.
